Teenage Rebellion
by DarkAngel814
Summary: Being a sophmore isn't all its cracked up to be. Ruthie is determined to change her reputation, she no longer wants to be a PK. But in the process of doing this will she lose herself? What lengths will she have to go to? R&R!
1. Brothers

**Chapter one: Brothers**

**Ruthie lay in a chair with her eyes closed, the sun resting on her body calmly. She felt her skin heating up. It was the end of summer and school would be starting soon, no more relaxing, no more swimming, no more sleeping in late, and no more fun. Once school started so did the responsibilities, the rules, and the homework. Ruthie would be in tenth grade now she was so excited. Last year she was a freshman, a baby this year she was older, and more mature. **

**Ruthie lifted her head up slightly rolling her sunglasses down her nose so she could see around her. Nobody was outside; Sam and David were inside playing video games with their friends. Lucy and Kevin were at their house; they weren't coming over just yet, they would be here n a bit for the barbecue; Mom was at the grocery store, and Dad was at the church. Ruthie had the yard to herself, yet she felt like she was being watched. She looked up again, and caught a glance of a boy. She shifted herself to the right and locked eyes with a cute boy about sixteen. She smiled and he waved at her. She felt her cheeks flushed. She was about to wave back when she heard David.**

"**Now! Attack!" David screamed. Ruthie felt a rush of cold water, as she screeched.**

"**GO! GO! GO!" Sam cried laughing. The four boys surrounded Ruthie pumping their guns as fast as they could, spraying her with water.**

"**Stop it!" Ruthie screamed. "I'm going to kill you guys"**

"**RUN!" Sam yelled. Ruthie ran towards them shrieking at them. Ruthie couldn't see, she kept wiping the water from her eyes but as she did she felt herself trip and lose her balance. Ruthie tumbled to the ground.**

"**Oww," Ruthie stopped screaming and sighed. She rubbed her eyes wiping away the water. She looked down she had tripped on the hose and she was covered in mud. "Sam, David!" She mumbled angrily. Ruthie stopped and smiled as a brilliant idea came to her.**

"**Ruthie are you okay?" Sam asked coming over.**

"**Yeah I'm fine," She said getting up, but as she did she pulled the hose out and sprayed him all over. **

"**AHHH!" Sam shrieked, as he slipped on his but.**

"**RUN AWAY!" David screamed.**

"**That's what you get!" Ruthie screamed spraying the hose everywhere. Just then the back gate opened. "You little brats--"**

"**What's going on?" Annie asked. Ruthie stopped dead; she dropped the hose looking at her mom. Sam was on the ground covered in mud. David was hiding behind the chair Ruthie had been sitting at her white towels at his feet in mud. Alex and Chris their friends were holding their water guns at Ruthie.**

"**Mom it's not what it looks like!" Ruthie started.**

"**Ruthie you know I don't like you playing with the hose you could hurt them, and what were you calling them when I came in? I think the word was brats?" Annie said. Ruthie rolled her eyes at that part.**

"**I was sitting out here minding my own business when they come out and spray me! I ran after them and tripped so I got mad and sprayed them with the hose!" Ruthie said. "I wasn't doing anything they just came out here to bug me!"**

"**Ruthie your in charge and they are just little boys you didn't have to spray them with the hose. Now go change cause we have to set-up for the barbecue, Boys why don't you help me with the groceries."**

"**Ok Mrs. Camden" Alex and Chris said in unison smiling at her.**

"**Yes mom!" David said.**

"**Okay mommy" Sam sighed. **

"**Are Erica and Lindsey coming tonight?" Annie asked Ruthie as she headed inside. Erica and Lindsey were Ruthie's best friends since 1st grade. Ruthie nodded.**

"**Yeah" She called back as she headed inside. Ruthie went through the kitchen to the front stairs As Lucy and Kevin came in. "Don't say anything, don't even ask!" Ruthie warned Lucy.**

"**Okay," Lucy said giggling. Ruthie sighed and ran upstairs glaring at Lucy.**

"**What was that about?" Asked Kevin.**

"**Oh Sam and David probably did that," Lucy and Kevin met Annie in the kitchen "hey guys, say hi Savannah"**

"**Hello," Savannah cooed from her stroller.**

"**Hey," David said.**

"**Hello," Sam said. **

"**Can we go play video games again?" Alex asked. **

"**Can we mom?" David whined.**

"**Only if you leave Ruthie alone," She said staring at them.**

"**We will," They bolted out of the room.**

"**First clean up," Annie yelled at them. A few seconds later, they heard them sigh as they trudged upstairs. "Boys," Annie rolled her eyes.

* * *

**

**Ruthie came out of the shower rubbing her hair with a towel she stood in front of her mirror and turned on the blow dryer as she started blow drying her hair she felt herself getting madder and madder at Sam and David.**

"**They never get in trouble! _They're only little boys! They didn't mean too!" _Ruthie mimicked her mom. The phone rang and Ruthie picked it up.**

"**Hello?" Ruthie answered still blow-drying her hair.**

"**Hello?" Erica screamed.**

"**Oh hey sorry, I'm blow drying my hair long story tell you later! What's up?" Ruthie yelled, turning off the blow dryer.**

"**The barbecues tonight right?" Erica asked. Ruthie could hear her chewing gum; she always had gum in her mouth.**

"**Yup, and tomorrow were going to the mall to buy new clothes for school right?" Ruthie asked.**

"**Yup, I'll call Lindsey to remind her" Erica said and hung up. Ruthie hung up and finished getting ready.**


	2. The Barbecue

**Chapter two: The Barbecue**

**Ruthie stood with Erica and Lindsey on the porch they were laughing and talking. There were a lot of people. Eric and Annie Ruthie's parents, Lucy and Kevin, and they're daughter Savannah. Sam and David, and they're friends Alex, Chris, Matt, and Corey, and Ruthie and her friends, Erica and Lindsey. Ruthie could smell the food. It was making her hungry. She looked over her shoulder to see that guy looking at her again.**

"**Excuse me," Ruthie said. She left Erica and Lindsey for a second and walked around back. She walked up to him.**

"**Hey," Ruthie smiled.**

"**Oh hey," He turned around, blushing.**

"**So what's your name? I'm Ruthie" She smiled.**

"**I'm Tristan, we just moved in down the street," He said, he tightened his grip on his dog's leash.**

"**So how old are you? I'm fifteen." She said.**

"**Sixteen," He said.**

"**You want to come over were having a barbecue?" She asked.**

"**Sure," He nodded his head. He followed Ruthie back to her house, letting his dog go play with Happy.**

"**Who's this?" Lindsey asked smiling.**

"**This is Tristan," Ruthie said staring at her. Lindsey rolled her eyes.**

"**Hey," Erica said. "I'm Erica and that's Lindsey"**

"'**Sup" he said. Lindsey smiled at him, giving Ruthie a "he's cute" glance. Then Mrs. Camden walked over.**

"**Hey Erica, Hi Lindsey. Who's this?" She asked glancing at Tristan.**

"**Mom this is Tristan he lives next door so I invited him… that's okay right?" Ruthie said hesitating.**

"**Of course nice to meet you,"**

"**Nice to meet you Mrs. Camden," Tristan said.**

"**Well, I guess I'll see you guys later," Mrs. Camden said glancing at Ruthie. Ruthie rolled her eyes. As Mrs. Camden walked away, Sam and David appeared.**

"**What are you doing?" Sam asked.**

"**Nothing! Go away, you have your own friends to bug!" Ruthie snapped.**

"**I don't bug _them_, I bug you!" Sam replied smiling. Ruthie glared at him. "But maybe I better go!" Sam said running off.**

"**They are so annoying," Ruthie said.**

"**Aww," Lindsey sighed. "Just like you at that age,"**

"**Hey!" Ruthie said laughing. Erica giggled.**

"**So, your in eleventh grade I bet, right?" Lindsey asked.**

"**Yeah," He nodded but he was staring at Ruthie smiling.**

"**So you can drive pretty cool huh?"**

"**Yup," he nodded again.**

"**Well, Erica come with me I got to get something, okay?" Lindsey hinted at her. Ruthie laughed as they left.**

"**So," She said. "You want to go inside and talk?"**

"**Sure," He said, he followed inside where they sat in the living room she closed the doors so it would be quieter.**

"**So," She said again laughing.**

"**So, how long you lived here?" He asked glancing around the room.**

"**As long as I've been alive. It's the church's house my dad's a minister"**

"**So your…protestant?"**

"**Yeah, you?"**

"**Catholic, I've never been to a protestant church"**

"**You should come next Sunday, if you want" **

"**Sounds cool definitely, so you have any other siblings?"**

"**DO I?" She laughed. "Your definitely new. I have two younger brothers, twins Sam and David. You saw Sam. I have two older sisters Mary and Lucy, Mary is twenty-four and Lucy is twenty-three. I have two older brothers as well Matt is twenty-seven and Simon is twenty."**

"**Wow!" He said. "I have a younger brother who is nine, and a younger sister who is six. Emily and Max" She smiled.**

"**They sound nice," She said.**

"**Yeah they are, well most of the time," He laughed; and there was an awkward pause. "So your friends they seem nice."**

"**They are, but you know growing up in a small town you get to know everyone real well or at least you think you do." She said.**

"**Well, actually I moved from NYC. So not really a small town."**

"**Really? My brother matt and his wife live in NY, and so does my sister Mary and her husband and their son. Is NYC nice?"**

"**It's nice but noisy, it's much different here"**

"**Cool" She said quietly. **

"**So, your siblings got married pretty young huh? Well most."**

"**Actually all of them but me, Simon and the twins are married. Lucy is married she lives a couple blocks away with her daughter and husband" Ruthie stopped. "I don't think I'll get married that young, what about you?"**

"**Nah, I doubt it right now I'm just into dating. Unfortunately I don't have a girlfriend." He paused looking down. What about you? You got a boyfriend?" Ruthie blushed, shaking her head. When she looked up they were staring at each other. **

"**Um…" He started to say something when the door opened. Mrs. Camden walked in.**

"**Mom," Ruthie said.**

"**What's going on?" Annie asked. Ruthie looked at Tristan she was extremely close to him. She jumped up.**

"**We were just talking, we wanted to talk somewhere quiet I guess we shouldn't have closed the door." Ruthie stumbled on her words, knowing her mom wasn't going to believe her. **

"**Well I got to go," Tristan said getting up and leaving. "Nice meeting you Mrs. Camden, see ya Ruthie." As he left Ruthie felt disappointed. **

"**We weren't doing anything you never trust me! Tell Erica and Lindsey I said bye!" Ruthie yelled as she ran upstairs and slammed her door. **


	3. Not another PK

**Chapter three: Not another PK**

**The last few days before summer were dwindling to an end, and the intense heat of summer was fading to the cool warmth of fall. School would be different though this year, cause she would be in high school. **

**Ruthie stood out front waiting for Erica, and Lindsey. She waited there, looking back and forth, from the road to the door. Finally she saw a car approach, when it stopped, Lindsey waved for her to get in. Ruthie climbed into the back with Erica, Lindsey was sitting up front next to her boyfriend Roger who was driving. **

"**Hey guys," Ruthie said. Lindsey and Erica said hi, Roger just smiled. Roger was a year older then Lindsey, and he drove a silver convertible. Lindsey turned on the radio.**

"**So you excited about going back to school?" Lindsey asked Ruthie.**

"**Do cats like water?" Ruthie replied.**

"**Mine does," Erica said jokingly. They all cracked up.**

"**You don't even have a cat," Ruthie replied.**

"**Shh, I know that" She giggled. Then the radio started playing a song they all liked. **

"**Not this song again," Roger whined.**

"**Eeeeh I love this song!" Ruthie said, they all squealed giggling.**

_"Na Na Na Na don't mess with my heart," They all sang along. "I wonder if I take you home would you still be in love baby, in love baby…" They sang throughout the song and throughout the rest till they got there._

* * *

**When they got there, the three of them got out leaving Roger in the car. Lindsey stopped and bent in to kiss him goodbye. **

"**Call me," Roger said driving off. The three of them walked around the mall looking at different stores. Ruthie's parents had let her spend money on new clothes for school. They walked around looking at different clothes, tossing them around their arms and trying them on. By the end they each had four bags of clothes, they stopped to get pizza while they waited for Roger to come pick them up.**

"**We're really going into high school," Erica said. **

"**Yeah, lets set some goals for this year" Lindsey said smiling.**

"**Ok," Ruthie hesitated.**

"**My goal is to go to lots of parties, with lots of guys," Lindsey said giggling.**

"**Those type of goals…" She stopped. "Wait what about Roger?" **

"**There are other boys just keeping my out," Lindsey shrugged. "So what are your goals?"**

"**I want a boyfriend," Erica sighed.**

"**Not a big surprise," Lindsey said. "What about you Ruthie?"**

"**Um… I don't want be the 'ministers daughter' anymore," She said. "And I won't, I won't be the sweet little PK anymore"**

"**Good, that's so boring…" Lindsey faked a yawn but burst out laughing. The three of them giggled, as they ate their pizza.

* * *

**

**Once home Ruthie ran up to her room, she dumped her clothes on her bed. She scanned through them she had bought: Hoodies, low riders, short-shorts, short-skirts, halter-tops, belly shirts, and a bunch of other shirts and jeans and other stuff like thongs. She started putting away her clothes, and picking out what she would wear for school on Monday. She fingered through top after top, and bottom after bottom. Finally she picked out her black low riders, matching jean jacket, and a blue halter-top. Ruthie smiled feeling satisfied, she was putting the rest of the stuff away when the phone rang she picked up after the second ring.**

"**Hello?" she answered.**

"**Hey is Ruthie there?" Tristan asked.**

"**Yeah, that's me" She smiled.**

"**Oh hey, Its me Tristan…" He said. "Look I can't come on Sunday, I'm sorry"**

"**Oh… well that's ok" She sighed.**

"**But I can't wait to see you on Monday—"He stopped.**

"**I can't wait either," She jumped in.**

"**Great, I'll talk to you then, Bye." He waited. **

"**Bye" She said and hung up. She sat on her bed her heart was beating so fast, she smiled just thinking about him. School would be great on Monday if she could get Tristan to notice her. Out of school was different; in school you always had to watch who you talked to. So, all she had to do was be someone it was ok to talk to. The outfit was the key, now the only problem was getting out of the house with it on.**


	4. Party Girl

**Chapter four: Party girl**

**Ruthie left the house early in Jeans and a flowered shirt; she wanted to change at school. She walked to the corner, where Lindsey, Roger and Erica picked her up. On the way to school Ruthie started putting on her makeup, Ruthie wanted to impress Tristan and as many boys as she could. **

"**You ready?" Lindsey asked.**

"**Yup," Ruthie said she had changed, and they were in the girl's bathroom. As they walked into the hallway Ruthie could feel all eyes on her. The hallway was packed with kids talking loudly mostly tenth graders. They were all chatting, talking about their summers. As they walked further down the hall, Ruthie spotted Tristan.**

"**There he is," Ruthie said.**

"**Play it cool" Lindsey said.**

"**I know," Ruthie said. Ruthie headed up to him.**

"**Hey, Ruthie," Tristan said. He waved his friends away.**

"**Hey,"**

"**You look great," He said.**

"**Thanks," She blushed. **

"**What homeroom are you in?" **

"**Mr. Horters, the math teacher. You?"**

"**Mrs. Verlings, I don't know where it is though,"**

"**Its across from Mr. Horters room,"**

"**Well that's good, you can show me then,"**

"**Yes, follow me,"**

"**Ok," He smiled as he followed her down the hall. Ruthie was so beautiful she had such pretty eyes; they were mesmerizing, and such a sweet voice, an innocent one. Her laugh was so cute it made him feel warm. Ruthie Camden was probably the only girl he would go out with he actually liked, if she would date him. **

"**Here it is," She smiled. **

"**Thank you, I guess I'll see you later then?"**

"**Yeah, at lunch maybe?"**

"**That'd be cool,"**

"**Yeah," Ruthie stared at him, he mesmerized her, and he was gorgeous. He had a great smile, with golden blonde hair that glinted in the sun. His eyes were blue and they sparkled. They felt like an ocean that was sucking her up. Every time he laughed she smiled. She felt like her heart was pounding every time she saw him, and she could barely breath every time he saw her. She felt like she was falling in love.

* * *

**

**The first day of school was over; Ruthie, Lindsey, and Erica were leaving when a bunch of eleventh graders walked up to them.**

"**Hey were having a party on Friday and we were wondering if you would come?" They looked at Ruthie, a sort of up down look.**

"**Yeah we'll come sounds cool," Ruthie said. They handed Ruthie, Lindsey and Erica each an invitation. **

"**Cool, see ya Friday," The tallest said.**

"**OMG!" Erica squealed.**

"**This is sooo—" Lindsey said.**

"**Awesome!" Ruthie cut her off. They all burst out laughing and giggling; Ruthie felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. **

"**Hey," Tristan said smiling.**

"**Hi," Ruthie said, suppressing a giggle.**

"**You going to that party?" He asked.**

"**Yeah, are you?" Ruthie smiled.**

"**Yeah, Chris invited me."**

"**Cool,"**

"**I was wondering if maybe you'd go with me?"**

"**Yeah," Ruthie said instantly, her heart was pounding.**

"**You want a ride home?"**

"**Umm," She looked at Lindsey and Erica.**

"**Go," Erica whispered, Lindsey nodded.**

"**Sure" she said. She followed him to his car smiling back at Lindsey and Erica. This had been the best first day ever. This year was going to be the best ever,**


	5. Sex, Beer, and all that jazz

**Chapter five: Sex, Beer and all that jazz**

**Ruthie sat in front of Lindsey's mirror putting on lipstick. No parents, no rules, no nothing. Ruthie was about to have the most fun she's ever had in her life. She smiled and spun around. She looked around at Erica and Lindsey giggling. **

"**I can't believe I'm doing this," She laughed. "My parents are going to kill me if they ever find out!"**

"**But they won't so don't worry, my parents aren't home so we won't get busted." Lindsey smiled, a car horn honked outside. Lindsey got up and poked her head out the window. "Our chauffeur is here" With that they were off.

* * *

**

**The three girls walked into blasting music and plenty of people, they maneuvered their way through the people. As they made their way to the drinks, Ruthie just stood there staring around her. This party was unlike any party she had ever been to. She picked up a can and opened it focusing on the music; she took a sip and almost gagged.**

"**What are you doing?" Lindsey laughed.**

"**I thought it was soda," Ruthie said laughing, they all stood there giggling. Tristan came up to Ruthie and grabbed a beer.**

"**Hey" he said nodding his head at her. Ruthie could tell he was drunk; she just giggled and smiled up at him. "You like the party?"**

"**It's cool," she said smiling, she took another sip of beer.**

"**You want to dance?" He asked Ruthie nodded taking another sip. He grabbed her hand, and she handed her beer to Erica. She let him guide her out onto the dance floor. He pulled her close to him, smiling down on her. The music blasted in their ears, as they moved to the music.**

**After dancing for a while Tristan suggested they go get another drink. Ruthie followed him back to the drink table. They stood there talking and drinking, Ruthie could feel herself loosening up. **

"**It's loud," He said. **

"**You want to go somewhere quiet?" She asked, smiling at him.**

"**Follow me," He led her downstairs and into a quiet room. It was dark and he made his way to the bed. Ruthie followed him looking around; she sat down beside him looking into his eyes. He pressed his lips against hers, pushing her gently against the bed. She reached her hands around his back. Tristan placed his hands under her shirt. Ruthie giggled and placed her hands around his neck.

* * *

**

**The three girls stayed up all night talking, Ruthie told them all about her and Tristan. Ruthie couldn't even believe herself as she told them; she was listening to her own story in complete shock. _Is that really me? _She had got caught up in the moment and just gone with her instincts. **

"**So is he your boyfriend?" Erica asked.**

"**No, they just slept together. But you better make him your boyfriend," Lindsey said jumping in.**

"**He's not?" Ruthie asked puzzled.**

"**Boy's are not that easy," Lindsey said. Ruthie was a little confused.**

"**Okay how do I do that?" Ruthie asked.**

"**We have to hang out with them after school on Monday call him!"**

"**Now?" Ruthie said shocked. Lindsey nodded her head.**

"**But the party was yesterday,"**

"**Ok, your right call him tomorrow then call us," Lindsey said. Lindsey glanced at her clock it was 11 o'clock. "You have to go don't you?" Ruthie looked up.**

"**Oh crap!" Ruthie jumped up and packed up. She ran out of Lindsey house as fast as she could, dialing home as she ran. Ring. Ring. _Come on._ Ring. **

"**Hello?" Annie answered.**

"**Hey mom, I'm on my way home we woke up late," Ruthie said quickly.**

"**Ruthie I left you a message last night you never called me back. **

"**Sorry mom I had my phone on vibrate" Ruthie replied.**

"**Ok…" Annie said hesitantly. **

"**I'll be home any minute, got to go love you bye" Ruthie said and hung up. "Phew" Ruthie sped down the block smiling to herself.**


	6. Burnt

**Chapter six: Burnt**

**Ruthie watched the clock, as time slowly pulled forward. The wait for school to end felt like it dragged on forever, she had only five minutes but it felt like an eternity. Finally the bell rang and school was over. Long weekends were the best, Ruthie headed outside to meet up with Erica, and Lindsey they were going to hangout with Tristan and his friends.

* * *

**

**Ruthie stood there leaning against the brick building surrounded by potheads, beside her Lindsey sat next to her boyfriend and Erica stood talking to Josh. Ruthie looked at Tristan, who handed her a cigarette. She placed it between her lips where he lit it, once lit she took a long drag from it. She let the taste sting her mouth before blowing upward above her head, where it lingered. The unspoken question of _did you like it_ clung to the smoke. Waiting for a response she looked up at him the unspoken answer _yes_ gleamed in her eyes. As Ruthie stood there smoke filling the air and her lungs, the reality of the situation felt unreal to Ruthie, it felt fake. **

**As the last of the cigarette burned down, Ruthie threw it on the ground and crushed it beneath her foot. Along with the cigarette Ruthie crushed her title as "Preacher girl", and the lingering smoke caught the transition from PK to Bad girl in it like a web. Around her the potheads lingered on another cigarette. Ruthie could feel the intensity of their high around her. While not quite ready for pot Ruthie had liked the feeling of smoking and was now curious as she watched Lindsey make out with her boyfriend. Ruthie could feel the temptation rising, she quickly glanced at her watch. _5:30._ **

"**Tristan, I have to go home," She said quickly.**

"**Oh, Ok that's fine let me drive you" He said smiling, even though his driving her was a given. Ruthie waved bye to Erica and Lindsey Erica waved back, Lindsey was kind of busy. Ruthie followed Tristan to his car and hopped in. As they followed the road to her house, Ruthie wanted to ask him out so badly. When he drove up to her house. Ruthie looked at him for a while and then started to get out. He pulled her back in and pulled her head towards him kissing her lightly on the lips. She looked at him and then pulled him closer she let the question in her mind drop away and just went with her feelings. She inched as close as she could to him; he moved his kisses down her neck. She wrapped her arms under his and around his back. She wanted to invite him inside but knew that someone in her house was spying on her.**

"**I have to go in," she reluctantly said. He nodded.**

"**You want to hang with me tomorrow maybe go to my house" he asked. She smiled at him and nodded. **

"**Sure, see you in school tomorrow" she said. Ruthie got out and headed inside she saw the kitchen curtains move. _Dad!_ Ruthie opened the back door, her mom was cooking and her dad was sitting at the table pretending to work. Ruthie suddenly feared they'd smell pot on her. **

"**Hi, I was hanging out with Erica and Lindsey sorry I didn't call, got homework got to go" She ran upstairs after covering the who, what where, and why she was late. Eric looked at Annie.**

"**Did you smell that?" Annie asked.**

"**Yeah, smoke" Eric said shaking his head.

* * *

**

**Ruthie walked around Tristan's house looking around. Tristan took her hand and led her into the living room. He sat down next to her.**

"**Tristan?" She said softly. He nodded. "Are we going out?" He looked at her.**

"**I would hope so," he smiled. Ruthie smiled and placed her hand against his cheek. Ruthie felt herself change; she knew she would do anything for Tristan. He slowly lifted off her shirt and placed his hands on her stomach pushing her down gently. She followed his movement closing her eyes. Ruthie and Tristan stopped when they heard a door slam. **

"**Shit," Tristan got up pulling his pants on. Ruthie grabbed her shirt. "My parents!" Ruthie quickly got her underwear on and was about to get her pants on when Tristan's younger brother walked in to the room. Ruthie stood there trembling behind Tristan. **

"**What are you doing?" Max asked raising his eyebrows, but you couldn't really tell under his knit cap. Max dressed different then Tristan.**

"**None of your fucking business, where are mom and dad?" Tristan asked.**

"**Out of town remember you were supposed to pick me up," Max said placing his backpack on the kitchen counter. "Your girlfriend might want to get dressed" He said taking off his jacket.**

"**Where's Emily?" Tristan asked ignoring his brother. He shook Ruthie's hand off his arm.**

"**At a play date, lucky for you," Max said sitting at the counter, he started to play his game boy again.**

"**Would you go to your room?" Tristan said annoyed.**

"**You're the one in the compromising situation" Max shot back.**

"**Hey Brainiac out of here," Tristan yelled heading toward him. Max jumped up and grabbed his bag and ran to his room. Ruthie pulled up her pants and grabbed her shirt; She started colleting her stuff as she put it on.**

"**Where are you going?" Tristan asked.**

"**Your brother just walked in on us…" Ruthie was hysterical. Tristan walked over to her. "Listen my brother won't tell anyone. He sees me do shit all the time, we could go to my room if you want?" Tristan said. Ruthie looked at her watch it was only 4:30 she had told her parents she was staying late at Lindsey's house.**

"**My parents are away all weekend" he said grinning. Ruthie looked at him and smiled back, she took his hand and followed Tristan into his room.**


	7. Lies

(A/N Sorry its so short I wanted to put out a couple of short chapters so that I would update a bunch!)

**Chapter seven: Lies**

**Ruthie stumbled through the door, trying to be quiet, but as she closed the door behind her she spotted her parents in the living room. _Shit_. Ruthie headed for the stairway.**

"**Where do you think your going?" Her father asked.**

"**Upstairs," She laughed. "What's the problem" Her parents stared at her.**

"**Do you know what time it is?" Annie screamed.**

"**No let me check," Ruthie said stumbling down the stairs she walked over and picked her bag up and pulled her phone out. "It's… 4:32am" **

"**What are you thinking, are you high?" Eric yelled at her, he snatched her phone out of her hands.**

"**HEY!" Ruthie screamed.**

"**Be quiet you'll wakeup your brother's!" Annie shushed her.**

"**I don't fucking care!" Ruthie yelled slurring her words. "Giving me my fucking phone back. **

"**Ruthie Camden Watch your mouth!" Annie yelled.**

"**What are you going to do wash my mouth out with soap I'm so scared!" Ruthie screamed.**

"**Go to your room!" Annie yelled.**

"**WHY?" She screamed.**

"**Because I said so!" Annie said looking at her daughter.**

"**NO!"**

"**Go to your room!" Eric yelled.**

"**Tell me what I did besides breaking the law by cursing oh no I'll go to hell" She laughed.**

"**YOUR HIGH FIRST OF ALL!" Eric screamed at her. "You lied to us we called Lindsey's house her brother told us you weren't at their house last night and her parents have been away all week!" **

"**So what?" Ruthie said stumbling.**

"**GO!" Eric screamed. Ruthie rolled her eyes and stumbled up the stairs.**

"**OH WOW BIG FUCKING DEAL I FUCKING CURSED I'M GOING TO GO TO FUCKING HELL!" Ruthie cackled as she went up the stairs she slammed her door so hard when she got to her room, that it shook the whole house.**

**Meanwhile in their room Sam and David lay in bed shaking and whimpering as they heard their parents and Ruthie screaming. When Ruthie cursed up the stairs the twins hid under their covers crying.**

"**Why is Ruthie so mad?" Sam cried.**

"**I don't know," David cried. David got out of bed to peek out the door he saw Ruthie stumbling up the stairs he accidentally knocked something down, causing Ruthie to turn and look at him. She glared so fiercely at him that he slammed the door and leant against as if she were about to force it open. David jumped back in bed crying.**

"**I hate her!" He whispered to himself.**


	8. Bitch

**Chapter eight: Bitch!**

**Ruthie woke up the next morning her head pounding it was Sunday, which meant church, which was not where Ruthie wanted to go right now. She opened her eyes but quickly closed them again, head eyes burned from the light. She could hear her mom calling her downstairs for church she slowly got up and popped painkillers in mouth as she washed her face. She could hear people running around downstairs, and the sound of her brother's feet pounding against the floor was killing her. She quickly put on a short black dress and some makeup, before heading downstairs. **

**Once in the kitchen she felt a little uncomfortable. She could feel the twins looking at her, when she glanced at Sam he looked so sad and scared but when she looked at David she'd never seen him so pissed.**

"**What's your problem?" She asked.**

"**You!" He shot back. **

"**David?" **

"**Aww," She said sarcastically that's when Ruthie remembered the night before. "Did I wake you?"**

"**Ruthie that's enough," Annie said glaring at you.**

"**Bitch!" David mumbled.**

"**What the fuck did you call me?" Ruthie said leaning over him.**

"**YOU HEARD ME," David said standing up.**

"**David don't you ever use that word again and Ruthie stop cursing!" Annie yelled.**

"**Why? She is, she thinks she the center of the universe! Well if she wants to mess up her life fine! But I don't like watching you break mom and dad's heart" David screamed. **

"**You're a little brat!" Ruthie said, with that she stormed out of the house. David stood there looking at his mother who looked so upset. **

"**Why is she doing this?" She whispered to herself.**

"**David your making mommy upset!" Sam cried.**

"**No, Ruthie is! I hate her!" He ran upstairs, Sam trailing behind him.

* * *

**

**(A/N Please read and review I hope you like them!)**


	9. Ditching

**Chapter nine: Ditching**

**Ruthie walked down the road cursing to herself under her breath she wished she had her phone with her. She walked quickly once she was out of the vicinity of her house. Ruthie couldn't believe she was actually going to skip church; she hadn't done that ever in her life. Ruthie stopped at a payphone and thought for a moment whether to call her mom or her boyfriend.**

"**What have I done?" Ruthie cried. Then she thought about David and started fuming again. She deposited a quarter and started dialing Tristan's number; it rang three times before a little boy picked up.**

"**Hello?" He said hesitating.**

"**Is this Max?" Ruthie asked.**

"**Yeah, who's this?"**

"**Ruthie, could you tell your brother I'm on the phone?"**

"**Yeah if he's awake," He said, in the background she heard yelling and a lamp smash.**

"**Hello?" Tristan said.**

"**Tristan, it's me, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out?" She said smiling to herself, _Fuck David._**

"**Sure, I'd love to but don't you have church," He mumbled.**

"**Forget about church come pick me up," She said sharply. "We're going to have some fun"

* * *

**

**Annie and the twins were piling into the car fifteen minutes later on their way to church. Annie was driving slowly keeping an eye out for Ruthie; she couldn't believe she was going to skip church. **

"**Mommy," Sam said quietly.**

"**Not now Sam" Annie shot back quickly. Sam looked down and then over at David who was staring out the window quietly. Sam hated seeing his family like this but he didn't hate Ruthie like David did, Sam just wanted everything to go back to normal. They pulled up in front of the church and parked next Lucy and Kevin's car. "Martin, go inside with the twins please" **

"**Ok," He said following the twins in. Annie waited until she heard the music start, to go in. Eric spotted her and looked at her strangely, realizing Ruthie was missing. Everyone in the family knew that people were talking, but they ignored it and they all stopped when Eric began his sermon.**

**After the service Annie waited outside for Eric. When he came outside she looked so mad, he looked at Sam who was standing besides her looking down. Eric felt like he had missed a lot.**

"**Where is she?" He asked.**

"**She ran out of the house this morning, after getting in a fight with David, she cursed him out practically for calling her a bitch," Annie said crying.**

"**He did what?" Eric looked down at David who quickly turned away. "Where'd she go?"**

"**I don't know she just left the house," Annie said. Eric put his hand over his face and sighed. **

"**Let's go home," Eric said.**

"**We'll watch the twins if you want?" Lucy said.**

"**No, no we were supposed have the three of you over after church and we will," Annie said smiling at her daughter. Lucy smiled back holding Savannah she looked down at Savannah and hoped she'd never be this much trouble.**


	10. Drunk

**(A/N: The flashbacks are from the night before just to make that clear. R&R I hope you like it!)**

**Chapter ten: Drunk**

**Ruthie stumbled into the house, giggling to herself; she banged into the door as she made her way to the stairs. She was halfway up when the light came on and she heard that familiar which meant she was busted.**

"**Where were you?" Eric demanded.**

"**Out," Ruthie laughed.**

"**Getting drunk instead of high this time?" Eric screamed at her.**

"**I don't have to listen to this," Ruthie said glaring at him.**

"**Yes you do!" Annie yelled. Ruthie rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen she grabbed her cell phone and left the house. "Ruthie! Now what Eric?" Eric stood there shaking his head he had no idea.**

**_Flashback_.**

"**Where do you want to go?" Tristan asked.**

"**Anywhere you want to go." She giggled placing her hand on his crotch she smiled kissing him on the side of his lips.**

"**Careful or we'll crash," He laughed. **

_**End.**_

**Ruthie stumbled down the street; she walked up to Tristan's house. She knocked on the door hoping he was still awake.**

"**Hmm?" Tristan answered.**

"**Tristan?" Ruthie whispered.**

"**Ruthie didn't you just leave?" He said opening the door.**

"**No that was an hour ago!" Ruthie yelled.**

"**Ok, ok, chill! What's up?" He yawned.**

"**Can I sleep with you tonight?" She asked.**

"**Yeah, do I have to go pick you up?" Tristan asked.**

"**What do you think?" Ruthie laughed. She walked inside giving him a kiss, to wake him up.**

_**Flashback.**_

"**Tristan what time is it?" Ruthie yelled over the music.**

"**I don't know, 25am," he laughed.**

"**Well then were late for school, but seriously I have to get home!" Ruthie said.**

"**One more beer," He pleaded.**

"**No you're the semi designated driver five was enough," She giggled. "But I'll take it" She laughed grabbing the beer from him.**

_**End.**_

**Morning rolled in, and Annie and Eric waited in the living room half asleep for Ruthie to come in. They could hear Sam and David walking around upstairs, and they heard Martin quietly sneak out an hour earlier. As the twins came downstairs, Annie got herself up and started making them breakfast, she could tell David was mad and knew that he must have heard the fight last night.**

"**Where's Ruthie?" Sam asked.**

"**I don't know," Annie said quietly.**

"**No one cares!" David yelled at Sam.**

"**David! Stop it!" Annie said.**

"**No, I heard you fighting again. I wish she wasn't my sister!" David ran upstairs crying. Annie watched him go paying no attention to the stove.**

"**Ouch!" She yelled as she placed her hand on the burning pot.**

"**Mommy!" Sam cried.**

"**I'm okay sweetie," She said. "Come here" Sam went up to his mom and gave her a hug. He'd never seen his mom this upset, he never wanted to let her go. He wanted to hold on to her as tight as he could, he wanted to take away all her pain. She wasn't supposed to ever be sad she was his mommy, and she was supposed to always be strong.

* * *

**

**Ruthie woke up beside Tristan, she felt a sense of relief and also a hint of sadness because it meant she had only delayed going home and today was her last day of the longest weekend ever. She had to face her parents tonight whether she wanted to or not. It didn't mean she had to face them sober.**


	11. Grounded

**Chapter eleven: Grounded**

**Ruthie stood in the lunch line waiting for the line to move, how long could it possibly take to decide between crap and crap, she thought. Once Ruthie got her food she joined Erica and Lindsey at their table. As usual Lindsey was sitting on her boyfriends lap making out. Erica was sitting next to some guy flirting with him; Ruthie looked at her best friends and thought about how much the two of them had changed this year, as well as her. Tristan came up behind her and sat down next to her.**

"**I guess I'll only being seeing you hear then," Tristan said smiling.**

"**Shut-up," Ruthie rolled her eyes.**

"**What's he talking about?" Erica asked she gave her that concerned look.**

"**I'm grounded for like forever," Ruthie said dramatically.**

"**Dram queen, "Lindsey said between kisses.**

"**Shut your mouth, oh wait you cant wouldn't want you to bite what's his names tongue off," Ruthie laughed.**

"**Ha ha, and it's Lance" Lindsey said sliding off his lap, forcing Erica to slide over. Ruthie just laughed at her friend's feeble attempt to prove she wasn't a slut. "Oh, your so much better miss I'm grounded for life! What'd you do?"**

"**Um, I was sort of a runaway this weekend, and your brother ratted me out!" She glared at Lindsey.**

"**Yeah I heard about that, I got in trouble but not that much, I'll be going to that huge party on Friday." Lindsey said cocking her head to the side and sighing at Ruthie.**

"**Anyway, I sort of came home high and then cursed David out the following morning and skipped church," Ruthie said. "Then came home drunk that night and left again and didn't come back till Monday night technically Tuesday morning. So my parents were pretty pissed this morning."**

_**Flashback.**_

"**Where have you been?" Eric screamed as Ruthie came in.**

"**I've been out, I'm so chill," Ruthie said. **

"**Chill, You know how much trouble you in!" Annie screamed. **

"**I don't care," Ruthie said flat out, dropping her bag defiantly in front of her mother. She stood there glaring at her mother in full attitude position, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Annie glared at her, speechless.**

"**What have you been doing the past twenty four hours?" Annie asked her sarcastically.**

"**None of you business, cause guess what? My life is none of your business, so I don't have to tell you who I'm out with where I'm going, or even who I'm sleeping with," Ruthie said smiling at her mother. Her mother stood there with her mouth hanging open. **

"**GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Annie shrieked. Ruthie turned on her heel and ran up the stairs slamming her door so hard she almost broke it.**

_**End.**_

"**You actually said that to her?" Erica said, her jaw hanging open. Ruthie nodded her head.**

"**I could give a rat's ass what my parents think," Ruthie said sipping her soda. "They think I have some drug problem now, so they won't sending me to buffalo like Mary." Ruthie laughed.**

"**Yeah right, they'll just send you to some intervention place, like everyone in this grade doesn't need one of those," Lindsey laughed. Erica looked at her wide-eyed. Ruthie started giggling at Erica's expression, Erica was such a goody two shoes and hated whenever they did anything wrong but went along with it anyway. The bell ending lunch rang, sending them all to class, as Ruthie, Erica, and Lindsey headed out of the lunch room they all kissed their respective boys bye.**

"**I'll see you after school," Ruthie smiled. **

"**But-"**

"**But nothing, bye" Ruthie smiled as she walked off laughing with Erica and Lindsey. Tristan could never figure out Ruthie, when he met her she was such a good girl or so he thought but he soon realized she wanted to prove everyone around her that she wasn't a good girl. Tristan felt like her ticket out of the PK spotlight.**


	12. Rock the boat

**Chapter twelve: Rock the boat **

**Ruthie sat on Tristan's lap outside his house smoking. Tristan sat there tickling her trying to get her to take the beer. Ruthie laughed and kissed him, as to make up for not taking it. Tristan gave her this puppy-dog face but she just laughed and took drag from her cigarette.**

**"Aww, you two are so cute," Lindsey said looking up momentarily from kissing Lance. Ruthie laughed looking at Lindsey. Lindsey smiled a sarcastic smile at Ruthie getting up and taking the beer from Tristan.**

**"I have to go home sober unlike you guys in order for my parents to believe I was in the school library," Ruthie said smiling she glanced down at her watch and jumped up. "I got to go, I'll call you later"**

**"Ok bye" Erica said smiling.**

**"Ok," Lindsey said. "Bye"**

**"Bye" Tristan waved, but Ruthie was already gone. Lindsey looked over at Tristan who got up and went inside.**

**"I'll be right back," Lindsey said. Lindsey followed Tristan inside where he was sitting on the couch drinking. "What's wrong?"**

**"Ruthie, I feel like she's using me," Tristan said.**

**"Using you? How the hell would Ruthie do that?" Lindsey said.**

**"She doesn't want be a good girl anymore, she used me to not be good," He said slurring his words.**

**"Tristan that's stupid, Ruthie really likes you," Lindsey said.**

**"Yeah right," Tristan looked up at Lindsey who was staring at her hands, he reached in and started kissing her. Lindsey quickly realized what was going on and pushed him away.**

**"What are you doing?" She screamed getting up.**

**"I… I don't know," Tristan said standing up.**

**"I have to go," Lindsey said quickly running outside.**

**"What's wrong," Erica asked.**

**"Nothing" Lindsey said. "I just have to go" Lindsey grabbed her things and grabbed Lance.**

**"Ok, I guess I have to go too," He said laughing his curls falling in front of his face. Erica waved bye, as the two of them rushed into Lance's car and drove off. Erica knew something was wrong. Just then Tristan came outside looking upset, he turned and looked at Erica, he had such a sad look in his eyes which quickly turned to a look of hatred. Tristan gripped the bottle in his hand before smashing it against the sidewalk in front of him. Erica watched him as he spun around and ran inside, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

**

**Ruthie slowly opened the front door; she placed her jacket on the hook and ran her fingers through her hair. As she walked into the kitchen she could see her brother's sitting at the kitchen table working on their homework. She watched them waiting for anything; she glanced at her mother who was walking back and forth between the fridge and the stove, checking on pots and chopping carrots.**

**"Hey," Ruthie said cautiously. Annie glanced up and locked eyes with her daughter; she glanced nervously over at the twins. Sam looked at her and went back to working on his math problems, but David kept his eyes on Ruthie waiting for her to set off another explosion, Ruthie was a magnet searching for landmines to explode in her parents face.**

**"Hey, how was your day?" Annie asked, she searched Ruthie's face looking for some answer to her sudden rebellious stage.**

**"It was fine," Ruthie said, she looked over at the twins and caught site of David's glare. "What?"**

**"What?" David replied.**

**"What are you staring at?" Ruthie said placing her hands on her hips.**

**"Not much," David said.**

**"Oh really," Ruthie said, she stopped when she heard her mother clear her throat. "I'm going to my room," Ruthie went up the stairs pounding each step so the sound echoed down the hall. Once she reached her room she plopped onto her bed staring at the ceiling. She kept her gaze on a crack in her ceiling as she traced it with her eyes, focusing only on that. She thought about getting up to catch up on her homework but her body got the best of her and she just lay there quietly.**


	13. Dangerous Decisions

**Chapter Thirteen: Dangerous decisions**

**Ruthie glanced at the clock; it was almost seven fifteen, Tristan would call any minute. Ruthie hurriedly put up her hair and redid her makeup; she walked over to her mirror and looked herself up and down. Definitely not an outfit her parents would approve of but it was perfect. She was wearing a red halter-top and a dark blue denim skirt. Ruthie cell phone started to vibrate on her bed she walked over and answered it.**

"**Hey, I'm coming I just got to sneak out," Ruthie said whispering into the phone.**

"**See you babe," Tristan said and with that he hung up. Ruthie opened her door and walked cautiously down the stairs and peeked out the door at the end, making sure the coast was clear. She then hurried down stairs into the empty kitchen, where she rushed out the back door. Ruthie smiled to herself once she got outside before hurrying over to Tristan's house. Tristan met her at the door with a smile and a kiss; he then quickly got into the car. Rushing her in along with him.**

"**What was that all about?" She asked giggling.**

"**What I can't kiss you?"**

"**Of course you can," She said leaning over and kissing him.

* * *

**

**Ruthie ran around the party laughing and dancing, making sure to dance with Tristan every now and then. By the time it was ten thirty, Ruthie had lost track of everyone she'd come with and was dancing around downing beer after beer.**

"**Hey!" Ruthie smiled. She walked over to Tristan who was sitting at the drink table by himself looking sad in a drunken pathetic way.**

"**Yea…hey," Tristan mumbled.**

"**What?" Ruthie said, giving him her puppy eyes.**

"**Can we go?" Tristan said ignoring them.**

"**What? No way!" Ruthie said stunned.**

"**Well then I'm leaving, and your walking," Tristan headed out the door. Ruthie grabbed her jacket and ran after him. **

"**What's your problem?" Ruthie said following him to the car.**

"**You are, you're a lousy girlfriend!" He spat, getting in and starting the engine.**

"**Why? Because I haven't slept with you in a week?" Ruthie said getting in and slamming the door. Lindsey and Erica had seen the two yelling and ran after them.**

"**What's going on?" Erica screamed.**

"**According Tristan we're leaving!" Ruthie screamed.**

"**I'll get Derek to drive me, your boyfriend's to drunk," Lindsey said referring to her new boyfriend. **

"**Ruthie don't go with him, let him cool off!" Erica cried.**

"**No," Ruthie said putting on her seat belt, and with that Tristan sped off.**

"**Ruthie!" Erica screamed after them, Erica glanced at Lindsey whose face looked worried for a second but then quickly turned back to anger.**

"**She probably just found out how Tristan really feels," Lindsey said walking off. Leaving Erica stunned and confused.

* * *

**

"**What's your problem?" Ruthie shrieked.**

"**You want to know?" Tristan said speeding up. "You used me! So you could shake your good girl image."**

"**What?" Ruthie said turning to him.**

"**Yea and you don't care about me, so you know what I don't care about you! That's why I kissed Lindsey!" He yelled.**

"**YOU WHAT!" Ruthie said. She gave him a punch on the shoulder before beginning to cry.**

"**How could you?" Ruthie yelled. "I never used you maybe at first, but how could you think that! How could she do that?"**

"**It wasn't her it was me," Tristan yelled. "You think your so bad but your not, your just a good girl covering herself in makeup and acting bad but defying everything she ever stood for. Your fake and you know it!" **

"**Shut up, you don't know anything about me!" **

"**Your right how could I you're a fake who knows if you were ever telling me the truth! I wish I'd never met you!"**

"**Yeah well the feelings mutual!" **

"**Well I hope you have a nice life because after tonight I never want to see or hear you again!" **

"**TRISTAN!" Ruthie shrieked, frozen in fear by the on coming headlights. "WATCH OUT!" **


	14. The Call

**(A/N: This Chapter will be in other people's point of view. I've never done that so I hope you like it.)**

**Chapter fourteen: The call**

**Sam and David sat in their beds tossing teddy bears across the room trying to hit each other. Sam had just gotten hit in the face and was pretending to die, laughing hysterically.** **Annie knocked on their door smiling as she watched the two of them play. They looked so innocent; she could barely believe they were seven. **

"**Hi mommy," Sam said looking at her from the floor.**

"**What are you two doing?" Annie asked.**

"**Playing," David said.**

"**Well time for bed," Annie said.**

"**Ok," Sam smiled; he got up off the floor and crossed the room to give his mom a kiss before getting into bed.**

"**Night," Annie said, she was about to turn off the light when the phone rang. Annie quickly turned off the light and headed downstairs. **

"**Hello," She said quickly.**

"**Hello, Mrs. Camden?" Annie thought she knew who the voice was but couldn't guess why he would be calling.**

"**Yes, is something wrong detective Michaels?" Annie was nervous whenever he called the house it was never good, especially if Eric wasn't home.**

"**Mrs. Camden, it's about Ruthie—" Annie froze when she heard that, lately she'd become terrified of getting a phone call like this.**

"**That's impossible, she's been upstairs all night," Annie said softly.**

"**Mrs. Camden, She's on her way to the Glenoak Hospital, there was a car accident" There was a pause and Detective Michaels could still hear her. "Mrs. Camden." Annie dropped the phone.**

"**Ruthie!" She yelled, as she raced up the stairs. She prayed to god she would find her daughter in her room. She burst into her daughter's room to find it empty. Her nightmare had been confirmed Ruthie was gone. She raced downstairs to call Eric. **

**Meanwhile the twins had heard their mother scream and had jumped out of bed to find out what was wrong. Sam was already hysterical, he hated whenever something was wrong. David on the other hand was fine; in fact he was mad since the name his mother had been screaming was Ruthie's which only meant she was causing trouble again.**

"**Why is mommy screaming?" Sam cried.**

"**Because Ruthie is probably in trouble again," David said slipping out of their room. Sam followed reluctantly, trying not to cry as he followed David down the hall.**

"**Why are you so mad at Ruthie?" Sam asked.**

"**Because she's always messing things up!" David cried.**

"**But what if she's hurt," Sam said quietly.**

"**Yeah right, She's hurting everybody else" David said hesitantly. He stopped at the stairs and looked at Sam. "You don't think she's hurt do you?"**

"**I don't know," Sam said.**

"**She's fine," David said quickly looking mad again. He tiptoed downstairs and the two of them stopped just before the bottom.**

"**Eric," Annie said as soon as he picked up.**

"**What's wrong?" Eric asked.**

"**It's Ruthie, there was an accident and she's in the hospital and I got a call from detective Michaels. Oh, I hung up on him!" Annie was rushing through each word so he could barely understand her.**

"**Calm down, I'll meet you at the hospital" He said, and hung up leaving her standing there sobbing.**

"**IS RUTHIE OK!" Sam screamed jumping up and running over to his mom. David sat there stunned by what he had heard.**

"**I don't know, but get dressed we have to get to the hospital," Annie said ushering them up the stairs. "Come on David"**


	15. Standby

**Chapter fifteen: Standby**

**Sirens were going off all around them as they entered the ER; Annie rushed in dragging Sam and David behind her. They stood behind her watching people being wheeled in on stretchers. Once they got upstairs they met up with Eric, he seemed to be able to calm everyone down.**

"**Eric," Annie cried. She rushed up to him holding him tightly.**

"**What's going on?" David demanded.**

"**Is Ruthie okay?" Sam whined.**

"**Boys! Please, we don't know anything yet" Eric said, he raised his hand in an attempt to calm them. "Listen, I called Lucy and Kevin and they're on their way now with Savannah."**

"**Eric?"**

"**Kevin's calling detective Michaels, he's trying to find out what happened." Eric said reassuring his wife. "Sam, why don't you and David go and get some sodas?"**

"**Can we get chips and cookies too?" Sam asked.**

"**Sure," Eric said handing his son some money. The two of them quickly ran off, leaving Eric and Annie standing in the waiting room alone.**

"**Eric, I didn't even notice she was gone, I was supposed to be watching her more closely especially after how she's been acting lately," Annie said, she walked over quietly and sat down. She buried her head in her hands, for a moment before looking up at him.**

"**You couldn't have stopped her, not with the way she's been acting lately." Eric said. He took a seat besides her placing his arm around her neck. "She'll be okay"

* * *

**

**Lucy raced into the waiting room carrying Savannah; Kevin trailed in behind her talking with some cops. Lucy Rushed over to her parents sobbing she placed savannah down in a chair. Savannah was sound asleep so she curled into a ball once placed on the seat.**

"**Is she okay?" Lucy asked nervously.**

"**We have no idea," Eric said. He looked over at two policemen standing next to Kevin. He stood up with Annie holding her hand tightly.**

"**Mr. And Mrs. Camden, I'm Roger Quincy and that's Mathew Reynolds," The man said gesturing to his partner.**

"**What happened?" Eric asked.**

"**Your daughter was in a car accident with we believe her boyfriend, the two were speeding down the road and they crashed into a tree trying to avoid an oncoming car. The driver, we think was Tristan Montgomery, Is that your daughter's boyfriend?" The man looked up from his pad.**

"**Probably, I wouldn't know you could ask her best friends Erica and Lindsey they would know for sure but if she had a boyfriend that would probably be him." Annie said through tears.**

"**Well, Tristan was killed." He said.**

"**What?" Eric looked up.**

"**He wasn't wearing his seatbelt and when they crashed he went through the windshield." His partner said. Annie looked at him in horror.**

"**And Ruthie?" Eric asked.**

"**She was wearing her seatbelt, it may have saved her life." Said Mathew.**

"**Do you know anything else?" Annie asked.**

"**We don't know anything else for sure, we think they were driving intoxicated, which is why they weren't paying attention to the road." Said Roger.**

"**Driving drunk?" Eric repeated in shock. **

"**Can you give me the names of Ruthie's best friends please?" Roger asked.**

"**Sure, Erica Lanes and Lindsey Hart." Eric said.**

"**Thank you, my partner Mathew, will stay here in case Ruthie wakes up or any information about her condition comes up." With that the two of them walked over to the receptionist's desk to talk. The twins were walking back with cans of soda and arms full of candy and chips. They slowed as they passed the cops.**

"**What's going on?" Sam said.**

"**Hey," Lucy said.**

"**Hi Lucy, want a soda?" he said holding one out, which caused him to drop a handful of candy bars.**

"**No thank you Sam," The two boys walked over and sat down on the floor placing their goodies in front of them. Sam started opening the chips and soda while David watched his parents. They seemed different, they seemed scared, and that was something David had never seen in his parents before. Just then a doctor came out, and walked up to his parents.**

"**Mr. And Mrs. Camden, I'm Doctor Benson." He said introducing himself.**

"**Well, is she okay?" Annie asked looking at him frantically.**


	16. Results

**Chapter sixteen: Results**

"**Is she okay?" Annie asked she looked at the doctor impatiently.**

"**We don't know yet, we're trying to stabilize her," he said glancing up at her before looking down at his charts again. "Her blood tests show a high alcohol level, and she lost a lot of blood, being in the passenger seat when they swerved her side was hit by the oncoming car"**

"**What does that mean?" Eric asked squeezing Annie's hand.**

"**It means that she was hit from the side causing the door crush into her right side. She has a lot of broken bones and cuts from when the glass shattered." He paused. "There's a good chance she'll be okay" Annie sighed leaning her head against Eric's shoulder.**

"**Thank you," Eric said.**

"**But, she's not out of the woods once we've stabilized her we still have to see if she wakes up." He said. Eric nodded before shaking his hand and thanking him again.**

"**Why don't you sit down," Eric said ushering Annie over to a seat. She sat down next to Lucy. "I'm going to call the rest of the kids about Ruthie" Annie nodded. Lucy looked at the clock it was nearly midnight, knew this was going to be the longest night of her life. She glanced down at the twins and saw that they were fast asleep on the floor. Sprawled out the white linoleum tiles. Normally she would move them, saying that the floor was dirty but it was a hospital, you can't get much cleaner then a hospital floor. Lucy glanced up at Kevin who was pacing back and forth nervously, playing with his collar every time he turned.**

"**Kevin?" Lucy said finally. "Please sit down" Kevin nodded before taking a seat next to Lucy.**

"**I should have been on duty, maybe I would have seen her and stopped her, or maybe I could have—" **

"**Kevin, no one could have prevented this but Ruthie herself," Lucy sighed. Lucy looked at the floor and started rubbing at her eyes. **

"**You okay? Why don't you rest, were not going anyway," Kevin said.**

"**Thanks," Lucy said leaning against Kevin. He put his arm around her shoulder, and kissed her gently on her forehead.**

**Time went by slowly, and as Kevin watched the clock in the waiting room it felt like it said midnight for hours. Kevin sat there watching the hands move around the clock, listening to telecom paging doctors and wheels rolling down the hall. He was shaken by the sound of people talking and that's when he realized he'd drifted off. He got up carefully as to not wake Lucy who was sleeping in his lap. He saw Eric talking to the doctor.**

"**How is she?" Kevin asked. Eric looked at him with this look of heartache.**

"**They've stabilized her," Eric said softly. "Now we have to wait for her to wake up." Kevin gave Eric a hug.**

"**She'll be okay," Kevin said.**

"**I have to Annie the news, I hate to wake her though," Eric said. He walked over and gently shook his wife, who awakened quickly. Kevin watched silently as Eric told her the news. Kevin walked over and sat down next to Lucy again stroking her hair softly. Kevin turned on the television in the waiting room; he flipped to the local news channel and waited for them to show the story. **

"**_Earlier this evening, there was a car crash on Willow drive. Two teenagers were speeding down the road, Michael Walberg reports from the scene at the time of the accident," A reporter says. _A clip from the report earlier began to roll Kevin could see red lights flashing and a mangled black convertible in the background. For a few seconds Kevin could see Ruthie being wheeled into an ambulance behind the reporter.**

"**_I'm here at Willow drive where a night of fun has turned fatal, the two teenagers were speeding down the road when they turned onto willow drive they collide with an oncoming car sending them into a tree. As you can see they have just gotten the passenger out and are taking her the hospital now, the driver wasn't as lucky. A 16-year-old boy, whose name has not been released yet, was killed, when he was sent through the windshield upon impact. The passenger was wearing her seatbelt, which may have saved her life, rumor's are circulating the two teenagers were on their way back from a party a few blocks down, and were driving intoxicated." _Kevin looked at Eric and Annie who were watching with him. He stopped listening to the report and just sat there stunned. When the report was finished Kevin turned it off.**

"**Leave it on, in case they learn anything," Eric said. So Kevin turned it back o before getting up and taking a walk. Leaving Eric and Annie alone, since everyone else was sleeping.**


	17. Answers

**Chapter seventeen: Answers**

**The sun slowly filled the waiting room as morning crept in; no word on Ruthie's condition had surfaced since the last time they'd spoken to the doctor. But the news reports had gained information. Kevin sat there listening while Lucy had taken Savannah to stay with a friend earlier along with the twins, and now Lucy was sitting next to him. It was ten o'clock, and Simon had just arrived. He was busy talking with Eric and Annie. Eric told him about Ruthie's condition, and that Matt, and Mary were flying out and would arrive later. **

**Lucy looked around and remembered the last time she'd been here was when Kevin had been beat up, She remembered how scared she was and how her father had driven her. She remembered, waiting here when her father had his surgery. She had proposed to Kevin only to have him turn her down. She laughed remembering how Ben and Robby had gotten the two back together. **

**Lucy had been in this hospital so many times, good and bad. She was there when a car hit Mary after church. She was here when her father had been shot. She'd been rushed here after collapsing in the grocery store, and after she'd delivered Savannah in an elevator. She was here for Simon's birth, which she didn't remember very well, and Ruthie's birth, she and Mary had gotten lost they ended up with this old guy who had cancer, and he calmed them down by telling them funny stories until their father found them. She was here when the twins were born, she had broken up with big lips and everyone was trying to cheer her up, Ruthie had done the best job. Ruthie had told Lucy her opinion on all her previous boyfriends leading up to Jordan. Before saying that Lucy would end up with a great guy. Remembering all of that made Lucy cry; she couldn't believe that this time she was here because she might lose her little sister. Lucy looked up at the television and listened as the reporter started talking about the accident.**

"_**As for the car crash last night, we have learned that the two teenagers involved were 16 year old Tristan Montgomery, and 15 year old Ruthie Camden, daughter of Reverend Eric Camden. The two were speeding down the road when they turned onto willow drive where they collided into an oncoming car sending them into a tree, where Tristan was killed upon impact. Ruthie is in the hospital and has been stabilized but is in critical condition. The two had been at a party. Kathleen Waterfeld is live with Erica Landes, one of Ruthie's closest friends. Kathleen,"**_

"**_Thank you,Erica you were at the party can you tell me what happened?" _the reporter said shoving the microphone at her. They were standing outside Erica's house. Eric and Annie looked over at the television when they heard Erica.**

"_**Tristan and Ruthie had been fighting and Tristan demanded they leave. Lindsey and I didn't want to leave with him because he was drunk and so we said we'd get our own ride. We tried to persuade Ruthie to stay and not go with him but she insisted so she got in, I remember he waited just long enough for her to get her seatbelt on before gunning it." Erica said sobbing. "They were screaming at each other as they got in the car, and were fighting when they left. They were both drunk and they should've stayed!"**_

"_**You arrived at the party with them then I assume?" she asked.**_

"_**Yes, it was Ruthie, Lindsey, and I. Because Tristan picked us all up, but we were going to get rides from somebody else back except Ruthie." Erica stopped.**_

"**_Thank you, back to you," _They cut back to the studio and went on with a recap of information. Everyone was stunned by what Erica had said.**

"**She knew he was drunk and they didn't stop her!" Simon cried.**

"**Simon, what could they do? You heard her they tried!" Eric said.**

"**But they should have stopped her!" Simon cried.**

"**Simon," Eric said.**

"**I know I just, it's not fair!" He said slamming his fist against the wall. "I want to know if she's okay!"**

"**We all do," Annie said.**

"**Mr. And Mrs. Camden, it's Ruthie she's awake," The doctor said. Everyone got up and followed him down the hall, when they reached her room Eric and Annie went in first. Ruthie had bandages on her head and arm and just about everywhere else, one of her legs was wrapped from the knee down. She was connected to a thousand machines, and she didn't look like Ruthie.**

"**Ruthie?" Annie said.**

"**Mom," Ruthie whispered, her voice was hoarse. Ruthie turned her head slightly to look at her mom. Annie hugged her gently crying and whispering to her.**

"**I though I'd never see you again" Annie said.**

"**Hey Ruthie," Eric said.**

"**Hi dad, it's a family affair I see," She said laughing. She stopped and looked around everyone looked so quiet and sad. "Where's Tristan?" **


	18. Interviews

**Chapter eighteen: Interviews**

"**Where's Tristan? He's okay right?" Ruthie repeated. She looked at her parents; no one would look at her. "TELL ME!" **

"**Ruthie," Annie said placing her hand on top of Ruthie's. Ruthie moved her hand slightly, she couldn't move it very muchbecause it was in a cast.**

"**No! Tell me if Tristan's ok!" Ruthie said fighting back tears. "He's okay right?"**

"**Ruthie, Tristan…" Eric said shaking his head. "He didn't make it."**

"**No, no that's not true!" Ruthie said shaking her head.**

"**Ruthie he's dead," Eric said. Lucy and Simon were standing behind their parents holding hands. Lucy squeezed Simon's hand.**

"**He can't be, no! Why am I okay then? It's my fault we crashed I shouldn't have yelled at him! He can't be dead! HE CAN'T!" Ruthie screamed. Annie hugged her. "NO!" She cried. She stayed in her mother's arm crying, her tears dropping onto Annie's shirt. Ruthie couldn't believe he was gone.

* * *

**

**The room cleared out over time and only Annie and Eric stayed the night. Lucy, and Kevin stayed over with Simon and the twins. The hospital was extremely quiet at night leaving Ruthie awake and alone. Time went by and by morning the entire family filled her room again, including Matt, Mary and the twins. **

"**We need to talk to Ruthie," said a voice in the back of the room. It was the cop they'd talked to a couple nights ago.**

"**She's not really in the mood to talk right now," Lucy said.**

"**Well, we need to," He approached Ruthie. "Ruthie we need to know what happened after you left the party."**

"**Why?" She asked surly.**

"**Because as I'm sure you know by now Tristan is dead,"**

"**Yeah I know, it was car accident what else do you need to know!" She said.**

"**Ruthie, please cooperate with him," Eric said.**

"**Fine what do you need to know?" She said.**

"**Erica and Lindsey said that you two were fighting when you left, and that you sped off. What happened the moment you left Erica and Lindsey up until the crash." **

"**We sped off and we were yelling at each other, and neither of us was really paying attention to the road." Ruthie said.**

_**Flashback.**_

"**What's your problem?" Ruthie shrieked.**

"**You want to know?" Tristan said speeding up. "You used me! So you could shake your good girl image."**

"**What?" Ruthie said turning to him.**

"**Yea and you don't care about me, so you know what I don't care about you! That's why I kissed Lindsey!" He yelled.**

"**YOU WHAT!" Ruthie said. She gave him a punch on the shoulder before beginning to cry.**

"**How could you?" Ruthie yelled. "I never used you maybe at first, but how could you think that! How could she do that?"**

"**It wasn't her it was me," Tristan yelled. "You think your so bad but your not, your just a good girl covering herself in makeup and acting bad but defying everything she ever stood for. Your fake and you know it!" **

"**Shut up, you don't know anything about me!" **

"**Your right how could I you're a fake who knows if you were ever telling me the truth! I wish I'd never met you!"**

"**Yeah well the feelings mutual!" **

"**Well I hope you have a nice life because after tonight I never want to see or hear you again!" **

"**TRISTAN!"Ruthie shrieked."WATCH OUT!" **

_**End.**_

"**That's all I remember," Ruthie said blinking back tears.**

"**So the two of you are yelling and then you scream watch out, what happened next, why'd you scream?"**

"**Um, I saw headlights coming at us, Tristan when he'd turned he ended up in the wrong lane. Tristan spun the wheel trying to…to get out of the way, but the car smashed into my door. Tristan must've accelerated and then I kind of remember smashing into something, cause all of sudden my seatbelt was cutting into my neck. When I opened my eyes, the last thing I remember seeing," Ruthie stopped and took a deep breath, she was trying hard to fight back tears. "Was Tristan on the windshield." Ruthie started crying.**

"**Thanks." He said getting up.**

"**Thanks?" Ruthie repeated. "Your so not welcome, so was I right? That's how Tristan died he went through the windshield? I'm alive because I put my seat belt on?" He turned and left the room, leaving Ruthies questions unanswered.**


	19. Lucky?

**Chapter nineteen: Lucky?**

**Ruthie sat in bed watching TV; she was pushing her food around on her plate. Hospital food was not the best food. Ruthie's nurse came into her room and took her food.**

"**So, are your parent's coming by with some real food?" she asked jokingly.**

"**No," Ruthie said shaking her head.**

"**Oh, well, it's time to change your bandages." The nurse said. She walked over to her cart and took out a pair of scissors. She started cutting off the bandages around her forehead. **

"**Oww," Ruthie said wincing.**

"**Oh, sorry," the nurse said glancing up at her. She took out a fresh bandage and finished wrapping her head. There was a knock on the, Ruthie looked over to see Simon standing in the doorway.**

"**What are you doing here?" Ruthie asked.**

"**What do you think?" Simon laughed; he walked up and sat at the edge of the bed as her nurse got up.**

"**Nice to see you Simon," She said to him before leaving.**

"**You too, bye" He said. "So, How are you feeling?"**

"**Ok, my arms feeling better. My leg still hurts, but my head's pretty much fine." Ruthie said her eyes still glued to the television set.**

"**So," Simon said. "Interesting show you're watching?"**

"**Not really," She said looking at him.**

"**Ruthie," Simon said.**

"**What?"**

"**What's your problem?" Simon shot at her. **

"**My boyfriends dead," Ruthie said glaring at him.**

"**Yeah, and your lucky your alive" Simon yelled.**

"**Well maybe I'd rather not be!" She said.**

"**I don't believe that, your lucky that's he's the only one who died. You two driving drunk, how could you be so stupid! You could've killed someone! Someone totally innocent!" Simon yelled.**

"**Like a kid?" Ruthie said glaring at him. Simon stopped and looked at her.**

"**Yeah, and trust me it's not something you want to live with. I wasn't drunk and I killed a kid. You should be happy, you were lucky." Simon said.**

"**But Tristan wasn't!" Ruthie cried. Simon got up and stormed out slamming her door behind him. Ruthie sat there crying, thinking about what Simon had said. "I really messed up!" She said crying.

* * *

**

"**You used me!" Tristan yelled.**

"**How could you think that?" Ruthie said. Ruthie was watching as the road whizzed by.**

"**You should slow down," Ruthie said.**

"**Why? Your just a fake you know that!"**

"**Tristan! WATCH OUT!" Ruthie screamed. The headlights flashing in her face, Ruthie opened her eyes. Sweat dripping down her face. She looked around and remembered that she was still in the hospital. She glanced at the clock it was four am. Ruthie sighed and turned on the television. She wished she could get out of bed; she hated sitting around all day. Ruthie stared out the window and watched the sunrise, she watched as her room slowly light up.

* * *

**

**Ruthie watched as her parents packed all of her stuff up, she sat in a wheelchair smiling to herself. She was going home.**

"**Do we have everything?" Annie asked.**

"**Yes I think so," Ruthie said. **

"**Lets go, the entire family is waiting for you at home," Annie said.**

"**Everyone is excited to have you back," Eric said.**

"**Yeah," Ruthie smiled. Ruthie looked over at the door and saw her nurse standing there. "Hi Nurse Carol"**

"**Happy to go home?" She asked.**

"**Yes, very happy," Ruthie smiled. "Thanks,"**

"**I'm glad," She smiled. Annie wheeled Ruthie past her and down the hall.**

**As her parents pulled into the driveway, Ruthie could see the welcome home banner her brother's, Sam and David, had made for her. Annie wheeled her around back.**

"**Welcome home!" they cried. Ruthie smiled as she saw her brother's and sisters sitting around the picnic table.**

"**Thanks," she smiled.**

"**How are you feeling?" Mary asked.**

"**Better," Ruthie smiled.**

"**Great, cause this is a party." Matt smiled. Ruthie laughed and smiled back at him. Ruthie couldn't believe her whole family was here. It was great to see everyone together. Ruthie thought about how happy she was see all her family here together for her. But then she thought about how Tristan wouldn't get to see all his family together for him, because they were getting together for his funeral. As that thought crossed her mind her smile quickly vanished.**

"**How can I have a party when Tristan's family's having a funeral!" Ruthie screamed. With that Ruthie wheeled herself into the house, leaving her family out there stunned.**


	20. Forgive me and I won't forget you

**Chapter twenty: Forgive me and I won't forget you**

**Ruthie lay on her bed trying to go back in time, wishing there was some way she could prevent this all from happening. Thinking back to the day of the barbecue, the day she met Tristan and the day this all began. If Ruthie had never met Tristan he would still be alive. Maybe if Ruthie hadn't screamed at Sam and David she never would have met him, maybe David wouldn't hate her, maybe Tristan wouldn't hate her maybe she wouldn't hate herself.**

**Ruthie sat up and let her tears stream down her face, she buried her head in her hands thinking if only there was some way she could stop this all from happening.**

**"I hate myself, I hate myself for killing you! I hate myself for making everyone hate me!" Ruthie cried. Suddenly she jumped up and ran to the bathroom, ignoring the piercing pain that shot up her leg, she started opening every cabinet door until finally she reached into the back and pulled out a little plastic baggie. She ran downstairs into the kitchen.**

**"I hope you're happy!" She whispered. The kitchen was pitch black, and the house was silent except for the banging of pots and pans and the opening and closing of the cabinet doors. Finally Ruthie found what she was looking for. She grabbed the bottle and ran outside, until she collapsed into the grass. She crawled towards the stone ledge, leaning against it. She ripped open the bag and shoved the little white pills down her throat. She opened the bottle and gulped down the wine, drinking every last sip. She threw the bottle against the curb, watching it smash into a million pieces.**

**"I hope you're happy!" she yelled. "I'm sitting out here in the middle of the night tormented by your fucking bloody face all over the windshield! While your up they're watching me! I hope you like watching me suffer Tristan!" Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the sweat that was dribbling down her neck. Ruthie just lay there waiting for the ecstasy to take affect. Ruthie closed her eyes leaning her head back. When she awoke she thought she heard sirens; she opened her eyes and got up, her body swaying slightly. She walked towards the curb and saw a black convertible smashed against the tree. Her house faded behind her with each step. She ran to the car, when she got there she tried to open the door but she couldn't she peered in. Looking back at her was herself. She watched as Tristan's blood ran down the window. She placed her hand on his shoulder blood soaking through. She looked through the broken windshield at her own mangled body. Her red halter-top stained darker by the blood, her denim skirt soaked through with her own blood, her brown curly hair coated with blood.**

**"This is all my fault!" She screamed. "Help! Somebody help!" The sirens grew louder as they got closer. As the ambulances skidded to a halt, Paramedics rushed out hurrying over to the car. Ruthie ran up to them trying to get their attention.**

**"Help him! I'll be fine!" She screamed. "Help him!" They rushed right by her.**

**"There's a passenger, I've got a heartbeat!" he said. "What about the driver?" The guy bent over the boy placing his fingers on his neck. He shook his head slowly.**

**"No!" Ruthie shrieked. "He can't be you have to save him!" She watched as they hurried to get her out of the car. She knelt to the ground letting everything happen around her.**

**"Ruthie stop it!" Ruthie looked up blinking away tears. She stared ahead of her to see Tristan leaning against the tree smoking a cigarette. The ambulance slowly drove away, as if in slow motion. The sound whirring around her at normal speed, the car slowly faded out dragging his body out of her mind.**

**"Your not real! Go away!" She shrieked.**

**"Don't be a baby" He said walking towards her. The scenery fading away, until it was just the two of them.**

**"Your dead!" She cried. He grabbed her arms and held her close to him. "No! Your dead stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" She pounded her fists on his chest, letting her tears run down her cheeks.**

**"I know," He whispered. He hugged her closer letting her mind calm, spinning reality and illusion together. Ruthie opened her eyes to see herself in front of her house again. She turned around and he was still there.**

**"What do you want? Haven't you tormented me enough?" She screamed.**

**"I'm not trying to torment you Ruthie!" He said stepping closer to her.**

**"Go away! Your just a part of my imagination!" She yelled.**

**"Ruthie stop it your acting like an infant! I'm the one who's dead and your still acting as selfish as ever!" Ruthie stepped back hurt by his words.**

**"You know for a figment of my imagination you're really mean!" She said.**

**"For crying out loud!" He glared at her stomping out his cigarette. He stepped closer to her and blew his smoke in her face. "Just shut up and listen! You need to grow up! I told you you were a fake but you didn't listen to me! People die Ruthie! But you're too much of a baby to deal with what's happened. You need to stop being such a bitch to your family and stop being such a wimp. I'm dead get over it!" Ruthie stood there looking at him.**

**"How am supposed to get over it! I loved you doesn't that matter!" Ruthie looked at him. He grew quiet. His eyes wandered to the floor. "Happy! I loved—I love you! Your gone and I never got to tell you how much I love you! You don't understand how much it hurts to know I killed you!"**

**"Ruthie I do, because it hurts me to know you feel that way!" He sighed taking a deep breath. "You didn't kill me! It was my fault and I'm sorry I hurt you! If I could I'd take all your pain away, but I can't. Ruthie I love you!" Tristan pulled her over and wrapped his arms around her. He pushed his lips against hers as she wrapped her arms tighter.**

**"Please don't go!" She whispered. "I need you!"**

**"No you don't, you need to move one, just promise you won't forget me!"**

**"I promise if you forgive me!" She said quietly.**

**"There's nothing to forgive, now go back to your family, they need you more then I do" Tristan pulled away. He waved goodbye as he watched her fall to the ground, as everything began to blur around her. He just hoped they would help her before it was to late.**


	21. Stuck in Neutral

**Chapter twenty-one: Stuck in Neutral**

**A soft white light faded in and out, as her consciousness grew weaker. When she finally opened her eyes a bright light surrounded her. Ruthie sat up, her hands were shaking, she could hear voices drifting off but she couldn't tell whose voices they were. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, but the room temperature was cold. Ruthie started to get up but her legs were weak and heavy, they felt as though they were pulling her down. When she finally got up, the room began to change. It grew darker as though she was in a movie theater.**

**Suddenly, a rectangular portion of the wall began to pull apart from the rest moving out towards her. The portion of the wall start to twitch, as though it was a movie screen, Ruthie watched it carefully she began to see image start to form. On the screen was a little child no more then two. The little girl was sitting in the bathtub, with bubbles floating around her, and every time the child touched the bubbles she would laugh hysterically. The picture began to zoom out revealing the mother whom was washing the little girl. Ruthie's eye's widened it was her own mother. The little girl was her, Ruthie walked closer to the screen, forgetting about her leg, a shot of pain raced up her leg. Ruthie froze where she was continuing to watch the screen, she watched as the picture faded into another scene. With a slightly older child, around five, a little boy was pushing her on the swings.**

**"Simon" Ruthie cried. A tear forming at the corner of her eye. She stood there watching her memories play before her eyes, playing detective with Simon, Hiding Lucy's diary all around the house, Playing with hooey, smoking cigarettes with Simon, Waiting up for Mary when she promised she bring her home a pizza, going to private school, meeting peter, keeping matt's secret, Going Matt's wedding, Going to Lucy's wedding, All of these happy memories flashed before he. But as time went by the memories of her grew older. Ruthie stood there watching her life, and for the first time in a long time she was happy. As the clip she was watching ended she waited for the next to begin, and the next clip was not a happy one.**

**The screen opened to her backyard, she lay there tanning, and already Ruthie knew what clip this was.**

**"No I don't want to see this," she said choking back tears. The clip played out ending with her meeting Tristan, The clips of him lasted forever, until finally they stopped. Ruthie stood there sobbing as she listened for what was next.

* * *

**

_  
**"Yea and you don't care about me, so you know what I don't care about you! That's why I kissed Lindsey!" He yelled.  
"YOU WHAT!" Ruthie said.  
"How could you?" Ruthie yelled. "I never used you maybe at first, but how could you think that! How could she do that?"  
"It wasn't her it was me," Tristan yelled. "You think your so bad but your not, your just a good girl covering herself in makeup and acting bad but defying everything she ever stood for. Your fake and you know it!"  
"Your right how could I you're a fake who knows if you were ever telling me the truth! I wish I'd never met you!"  
"Yeah well the feelings mutual!"  
"Well I hope you have a nice life because after tonight I never want to see or hear you again!"  
"TRISTAN!"

* * *

**_

**The clip finished, Ruthie screamed. "STOP! Stop it!"**

**"Didn't I tell you to go home?" Tristan said walking up behind her.**

**"Why are you back?" Ruthie asked. "Was this your doing?"**

**"No that was your life, your mistakes, your problems." Tristan said. "That's what you had…"**

**"What do you mean had?" Ruthie asked.**

**"Your dead Ruthie, or at least your dying. I told you to go back to your family and now you may never get the chance."**

**"What!" Ruthie began to panic. But I didn't mean to, I don't want to die!"**

**"Well, you should have thought of that sooner."**

**"So why are you here then if there's nothing I can do?"**

**"Because, I'm your guide, I don't particularly want to be your guide, but I'm stuck with it."**

**"I thought you forgave me?"**

**"I do but then you blew it."**

**"I'm sorry!" Ruthie began to cry. "What have I done?"**


	22. I Love You

**Chapter Twenty-Two: I love you**

**Ruthie sat there tears streaming down her face, how could this be happening she didn't want to die she just wanted to stop thinking about him. If she had only listened to him, but then again it had already been too late.**

"**It's your fault! I hate you! Why can't you just leave me alone I don't want to remember you, don't you understand" Ruthie yelled.**

"**There you go again being a baby. I'm the one whose dead and your still mad at me! Typical Ruthie, Typical."Tristan said angrily.**

"**Don't talk to me like that you don't know me, you never did—"Ruthie started but Tristan cut her off.**

"**Oh so sex meant nothing to you? Cause I really have sex with every girl I meet!" Tristan screamed.**

"**That's not the point! Its not my fault your dead!" Ruthie said crying.**

"**I NEVER BLAMED YOU!" Tristan shrieked. Tristan stopped and looked at her. She was shaking hard, tears racing down her face and along her neck.**

"**But I did," Ruthie whispered shakily. Tristan pulled her close to him, embracing her gently.**

"**I'm sorry, I don't want you to be here. Your family, they need you, no matter how much I want you here." Tristan cried.**

"**It's ok I took you from your family, your brother and sister must hate me!"**

**Ruthie sobbed.**

"**No they can't hate you, I left them I'm all they had they must hate me. How could they not? When you go back you have to tell them how much I love them! Promise me!" Tristan sad firmly.**

"**How? What if I don't—"Ruthie started.**

"**Don't say it, you're going back, you have to! Otherwise I'll never be able to forgive myself!" Tristan said giving her a kiss on the forehead.**

"**But there's nothing either of us can do to change this, I'm going to die Tristan, Aren't I? "**

"**No, You cant!" Tristan said calmly.**

"**I love you Tristan!" Ruthie said wrapping her arms tightly around him.**

"**I love you Ruthie!" He whispered into her ear.**

"**You have to go now, you have to go home!" He whispered.**

"**If I leave, I'll never forget you Tristan"

* * *

**

"**Ruthie! Ruthie!"**

"**Tristan?" Ruthie whispered.**

"**Ruthie" Ruthie pushed at her eyes trying to open them; a slight flutter and here eyes were filled with light. Ruthie began to panic _Oh no! I'm dead! I don't want to die, please god no!_ "Ruthie honey,"**

"**Mom?" Ruthie said. _Wait, that's not Tristan._ Ruthie fought to open her eyes more. Ruthie began to open her eyes slowly and began to see her family around her.**

"**Ruthie, hey honey." Her mom said trying not to cry.**

"**Oh mommy I'm sorry… I didn't mean to! I love you all! I just wanted to get away from Tristan I'm sorry I'll never do this again!" Ruthie cried.**

"**I love you Ruthie!" David sobbed. He ran up and gave her hug.**

"**I love you too. I'm sorry everyone for how I've acted this year." Ruthie cried giving David a kiss on the forehead.**

"**Ruthie we're just happy your okay." Eric said placing his hand on hers.**

"**I have been so stupid, I'm sorry. I wish there was some way I could make it all up to everyone." Ruthie said quietly. Her eyes started to become heavy again. **

"**We'll leave you, you should rest." Annie and Eric gave her a kiss on the head and then everyone filed out. Ruthie slowly began to drift off to sleep.**

"_**I love you Ruthie!" Tristan whispered.**_


	23. He wants you to know

**Chapter 23: He Wants You To Know…**

**Ruthie stood outside a large brick house pacing back and forth she stopped at the mailbox and traced her fingers along the name. The house had a huge lawn in front with a white picket fence bordering the property. Red and pink roses sat in flower boxes along the front of the house. It was three stories high, from were she was standing she could see into the kitchen, it was empty except for a big black cat that was sitting in the window staring at her. Ruthie worked up the courage to walk up path, when she reached the steps she stopped and turned around.**

**"No, you have to do this," She said to herself. She turned around and walked up the steps. _1-2-3. She counted in her head. _When she reached the door she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. She waited a couple of minutes; she was about press it again when she heard footsteps. She lowered her hand and waited. The door swung open, and an eleven-year-old boy stood there glaring at her.**

**"Hi, Max right? I don't know if you remember me but—"**

**"I know who you are." Max said cutting her off. "What do you want?"**

**"Can I come in?" Ruthie asked. Max looked at her holding the door tightly, his face was blank except for his eyes which were filled with anger.**

**"Whatever," He said letting go of the door he walked away heading for the living room. Ruthie followed him into the living room, where he sat down sprawled out on the couch. Ruthie stood there, watching him continue to play his video games.**

**"So…" She said trying to break the silence.**

**"So what the hell do you want? You came here remember." He said in an annoyed tone.**

**"I wanted to talk to you…" Ruthie stopped.**

**"Yeah…what about. I only met you once remember, you might not seeing as you were to focused on screwing my…"Max drifted off. Ruthie winced when he said that.**

**"That's what I want to talk to you about, I wanted to talk to you about Tristan." Ruthie said. Max paused his game, and looked down at the floor.**

**"Tristan who?" He said quietly.**

**"What? How could you say that? He's your brother, your just going to forget about him like that?" Ruthie screamed.**

**"I'm nine years old, what do you want for me. Or do you forget that I'm only nine. My parents sure do, but guess what I'm the oldest now so I'm in charge. While my parents are somewhere on business, yet again." Max said standing up.**

**"What does that have to do with Tristan?" Ruthie asked. Max looked at her in disgust.**

**"Why do you care anyway?" Max said.**

**"I loved your brother—"**

**"SO WHY IS HE DEAD!" Max screamed. Ruthie stood there in shock trying to figure out what to say.**

**"Because…" Ruthie drifted off, she didn't have an answer for him.**

**"You killed him and you have the nerve to come here and tell me how much you loved him! TEL ME HOW BAD A BROTHER I AM FOR TRYING TO FORGET HIM!" Max screamed.**

**"That's not what I'm doing. I never said… I didn't…" Ruthie stopped fighting back tears. "It's not my fault."**

**"If that's what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night, then whatever." Max said.**

**"Max. I didn't kill him."**

**"I DON'T CARE!"**

**"You should!" Ruthie said stepping toward him. "Your brother loved you, he wanted you to know that…"**

**"How would you know that!" He said backing away. "You didn't even know him, you went out with him for what a year practically and you never met our parents until he was dead!"**

**"So that means I don't care about him! I loved your brother. You think I don't blame myself." Ruthie screamed. "You think I don't know that if I hadn't fought with him in the car he'd still be alive!" Max looked at her.**

**"He wasn't your brother… He wasn't the only person that cared about you." Max said, tears streamed down his face.**

**"Your parent's love you, Emily love's you!" Ruthie said crying.**

**"Emily's six!" Max yelled. "My parent's don't love me, I'm just a nuisance. Now I'm just a caretaker for Emily."**

**"Max, I know it's hard to lose someone but you can't block them out of your memory. Tristan loved you a lot. He told me so, he told me to tell you that he loves you and…" Ruthie stopped. She looked at max who was crying. " I know you wont believe me but he told me, he's sorry he left you." Max began to sob. Ruthie went over and hugged him crying.**

**"When did he tell you this?" Max asked quietly.**

**"When I almost joined him…" Ruthie whispered. " He loved you, and he knows you loved him."**

**"He knows you loved him too…" Max whispered.**


	24. Goodbye For Now

**Chapter 24: Goodbye For Now**

**Ruthie walked along the path, stepping over puddles and holes. She looked across around her searching for him. A sudden burst of wind brushed by her, signaling her to zip up her sweater. She slowed her pace as she came upon what she had been looking for. As she stood in front of Tristan's grave she turned back to look at Max. Max walked closer and knelt down in front of his brother's grave.**

**"Tristan I told you I'd tell him…" Ruthie said quietly. Max looked up at her.**

**"Tristan, I'm sorry I tried to forget…" Max stopped and rubbed his eyes trying not to cry. "I just…I…didn't want to accept…" Max trailed off his voice trembling. "I didn't want to accept that you were gone." Ruthie knelt down behind him. Max turned around and gave her a hug.**

**"It's okay Max…" Ruthie said softly. " Everything's going to be okay."**

**Max and Ruthie sat there for a while before they were finally able to stop. When they did, they both looked up at each other, Ruthie smile and went into her bag and pulled out a rose. She stood up and placed it down on top of his headstone. She placed her fingers on his name.**

**"Tristan, I love you. I wish that this year had gone differently then it had. I don't know if I regret anything… But I know that I do wish that we had both made better decisions. We were both stupid and foolish this year…" Ruthie stopped wiping away her tears, she took a deep breath. "Unfortunately… for you… your mistakes… came with a bigger price. But I want you to know… That I will always Love you and I don't think I'll ever get over you… and I know I'll never forget you…."**

**"I love you Tristan, I'll take good care of Emily… I PROMISE! No matter what it takes I'll make mom and dad pay attention to both Emily and I just like you wanted." Max said crying. He walked up to Tristan's headstone and hugged it. "I love you"**

**"Goodbye Tristan…" Ruthie placed her arm around Max. "Goodbye for now."**


End file.
